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by | Jul 22, 2020 6:48 pm
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Posted to: Black Lives Matter, Legal Writes, Media
City cop Jason Bandy wants the public to know that lying politicians exaggerated the impact of Covid-19 in order to crack down on individual freedom.
And that the media ignore elite-run child sex trafficking rings connected to the Vatican and CIA. And that one Black female Democratic Congresswoman is “trash,” while another should be “lock[ed] up.”
Bandy has worked as a city police officer in New Haven for over a decade.
Based on the Independent’s review of just a week’s worth of his public Facebook musings, Bandy’s public declarations map closely onto those expressed by the furthest fringes of the American right.
They come at a time when the role of right-wing extremists in law enforcement has received renewed attention as President Trump dispatches federal agents into Portland to confront “anarchists” and pull protesters into unmarked vans, and has threatened to do the same in other cities around the country.
They also join other recent social media postings and group texts by New Haven police and firefighters, as well as by cops, officials, and firefighters in other communities, that have sparked debate over the rights and responsibilities of public-safety personnel. The debate — including a call-out of the New Haven department by the ACLU — balances officers’ First Amendment free speech protections with the impact of their advocacy on their ability to protect and serve an urban community at a time of raging national protests over law enforcement.
“They do align with far-right, extremist anti-government beliefs,” national domestic terrorism analyst and right-wing extremism expert Daryl Johnson said about Bandy’s Facebook posts.
“When you have people that have those types of beliefs, even though they have the First Amendment right to free speech, it does call into question whether these people need to have the authorities that police officers have. It calls into question their judgment and their integrity.”
Bandy declined to comment for this story. He did post a video on Facebook (above) defending himself against allegations of bias or improper behavior. He defended his right to criticize public figures. “Who fights for me? I have to fight for myself. Then when you do, you get bashed … because you speak out,” Bandy said. He called this article an example of the left-biased media unfairly “putting targets” on people’s backs in an effort to divide the community.
New Haven police union attorney Marshall Segar told the Independent, “Union counsel is reviewing the materials. As such, the Union cannot comment at this time.”
Police Chief Otoniel Reyes offered a similar take. “I need an opportunity to review the alleged posts,” he told the Independent. “The NHPD has clear policies that govern communication on social media. If department polices were violated, we will take appropriate action.”
Conspiracy Theory Enthusiast
Bandy has reposted images, statements, and articles that argue that “Covid-19 was planned”; that the government “doesn’t actually care about your safety”; and that Covid-19 case counts have been deliberately, artificially inflated in Texas and Florida.
He has posted that Ilhan Omar, a Black female Democratic U.S. representative from Minnesota, should be locked up for allegedly supporting “Antifa”; that another Black female Democrat, Maxine Waters, is “trash;” and that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is either “pandering to Islam … or attempting to implement?” based on a video in which the nominee states that “Muslim votes matter.”
Bandy routinely posts about the prevalence of child sex trafficking among elites. About a slow creep towards a cashless society. And about a fascist dictatorship emerging from state government orders to wear masks, maintain social distances, and temporarily shut down parts of the economy in order to stem the spread of Covid-19.
“The job of a politician at this point has become this … Spend every dime they can while stealing most so they can cry that they need federal funding because we don’t have enough money even though we started off with more than enough…They purposely do this,” he wrote in one recent Facebook post.
In another, he shared a picture of Adolf Hitler, accompanied by a quotation from the führer outlining how governments slowly erode their people’s freedoms.
“Stop letting this happen,” he wrote—implicitly comparing current government restrictions around Covid-19 and Nazi Germany.
His Facebook feed — particularly the reposts about elite pedophile conspiracies and widespread political corruption seeking to undermine Donald Trump—echo unfounded postings of the right-wing conspiracy group QAnon.
Indeed, Bandy recently reposted on Facebook a Tweet that used the hashtag #QANON. That reposted message pointed to another Tweet from an Italian model who claimed that “the truth of the Hollywood pedophilia is about to come out more vivid than ever.”
The New Haven officer does not shy away from promoting conspiracy theories on his public Facebook page. To the contrary, he embraces it.
He recently reposted an image lambasting CNN for running a “hit piece on conspiracy theories.”
“They only talk about what they need to discredit,” he wrote.
Right above that, he posted a list of major U.S. corporations that have allegedly donated millions of dollars in recent weeks to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This is nothing more than criminal evil elites attempting to purchase/steal an election to keep their crimes hidden and control in tact,” he wrote.
His Facebook posts at times are reminiscent of those that led to the firing of two St. Louis police officers in December 2019.
Bandy’s tenure on the job has seen its fair share of controversies. They started back in 2010 when he was a rookie; one day he called in sick, went out and got drunk, and caused a ruckus at a downtown bar. The department tried unsuccessfully to remove him from the force. Last year top brass tried unsuccessfully to fire him for violating the department’s tattoo policy.
He has managed to weather those storms with the backing of the police union.
Bandy’s recent posts appear to approach, if not outright cross, the line established by the New Haven Police Department in its general order on personal and professional social media use.
“Departmental personnel are free to express themselves as private citizens on social media sites to the degree that their speech does not impair working relationships of this Department for which loyalty and confidentiality are important, impede the performance of duties, impair discipline and harmony among coworkers, or negatively affect the public perception of the Department,” the policy reads in part.
The policy also cautions city police officers that they should assume that their social media speech, whether done on or off the clock, “will reflect upon their office and this Department.”
And the policy prohibits “forms of speech that ridicule, malign, disparage, or otherwise express bias against any race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other protected class of individuals.”
Fit To Serve?
Local civil rights attorney John Williams told the Independent that Bandy’s Facebook feed raises a host of questions for him — not just about potential compliance with department policy, but also about Bandy’s mental fitness to serve as a police officer.
Williams referred to a recent post in which Bandy wrote “Lock her up” above a meme of U.S. Rep. Omar allegedly spotted at an Antifa rally.
That post raises “a reasonable question about whether this officer suffers from inherent bias,” he said, as he is calling for the arrest and detention of of a Black female politician who has not broken any laws.
Williams said that the #QANON repost “suggests mental instability. It raises a serious question that would call for a psychiatric evaluation, which the employer has a right to do when the job of an employee is to carry a loaded gun.”
He said Bandy’s Facebook feed is not mere political expression voicing his support for a particular candidate, party, or set of political beliefs. All of that is clearly protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, he said.
These posts, however, get at what Williams said is the key legal question when determining the boundary between a government employee’s free speech and their ability to serve the public. That question, he said, is: “Does the speech in question impair the ability of the employee to function effectively in his or her job, whatever that job may be?”
Under one reposted video depicting a Black man at the wheel of a car getting roughed up by a police officer for not cooperating with the officer’s instructions, Bandy wrote that one cannot focus only on the “professionalism” of police when evaluating an officer’s use of force.
“[T]here is also something called morals and respect and a lot of society lacks this thinking others need to act professional and they can act however they like,” Bandy wrote. “At the end of the day we are adults and if you want to be treated like one than it’s that person responsibility to act like one. Probably the biggest problem in society today is that most don’t.”
“Higher Standard”
DT Analytics owner Daryl Johnson (pictured) agreed with Williams’s analysis of Bandy’s posts.
The New Haven officer’s posts “call into question their ability to make accurate judgments,” he said. “It has implicit biases towards certain groups of people, which is at odds with what a police department is about, which is instilling trust in the community.”
Johnson is as much of an expert on the rise of and calling cards of right-wing extremism in this country as just about anyone else. Before he started his own consultancy, he worked as a senior domestic terrorism analyst at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Republican President George W. Bush and then under Democrat President Barack Obama.
During his time working for the federal government, he oversaw the research and writing of a paper analyzing the rise of right-wing extremism in this country at the time of the Great Recession and Obama’s election and assumption of office. He ultimately resigned from his position after his paper was leaked to the public. Conservative news channels and Congresspeople accused him of targeting people of a specific political persuasion, and the Obama White House left him—and his research—out to dry. (Click here to listen to a recent episode of WBUR’s On Point all about Johnson’s background, his analysis of the current state of right-wing extremism, and his new book, “Hateland: A Long, Hard Look at America’s Extremist Heart”.)
Johnson stressed to the Independent that the issue of Bandy’s Facebook feed — like those of other police officers called out for posting controversial content on personal social media accounts— is not a criminal matter.
“This is an administrative matter,” he said. “This person’s character has been called into question because of his beliefs. I believe that people who hold these kinds of extreme views are a liability to the department.” Someone could file a civil suit against him and accuse the department of discrimination based on these posts, he said.
Johnson said that people who have a badge and a gun and specialized training and authority must be held to “a higher standard of personal character.
“For far too long, I believe police departments have swept this issue under the rug and ignored it, when they should start looking at how this person’s beliefs affect their ability to be a police officer.”
“Good Morning Hate Spewers”
Unrelated to Bandy’s posts, another current member of the NHPD took to Facebook to rebuke recent police accountability protests — and in turn elicited a sharp critique from the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
On the morning of July 15, the day after the city saw a surge in gun violence that included four shootings and two homicides, NHPD Det. Bridget Brosnahan reposted a public post from People Against Police Brutality leader Kerry Ellington.
Ellington’s post called for the defunding of the police, and outlined how she believed the $40 million-plus that make up the police budget could be better spent.
Brosnahan wrote in her repost, “This is what I’m talking about… the leader of the protesters.”
Soon thereafter, Brosnahan took to Facebook again to write another post.
“Hey good morning hate spewers a.k.a. protesters against police,” she wrote in part. “YOUR city is on fire, a.k.a. people are shooting each other in your community, and I don’t see you anywhere. If you think the gangbangers have not taken on your attitude because they’ve watched you, they’ve listen [sp.] to you, and they have now taken on your attitude towards the police and think that they can just do anything because we have no power, you’re wrong again. Do you remember when you yelled at us for 10 hours and spewed hate for 10 hours in our faces and you wanted to get rid of us because you wanted to police your own community where are you now??? WHERE THE FCK ARE YOU?? This is not a message to peaceful protesters who just want to exercise their right for change in their community.”
Other city police officers, most of them retired, posted in the comment section under her post with their own reactions to Ellington’s critique.
“What a fucking imbecile,” Marco Francia wrote.
“And the looting hasn’t even started yet,” wrote Fred Hurley.
“The police aren’t your problem stupid, YOU are. Grow up,” wrote former police union President Arpad Tolnay.
“A simple shut the fuck up and sit your dumb ass down would do…” wrote Rob Levy Sr.
Southern Connecticut State University Associate Professor of Sociology Cassi Meyerhoffer posted on the thread that the current and retired officers’ comments reflected a lot of “internalized white supremacy.”
Brosnahan responded by asking Meyerhoffer to “please name one strong black leader, alive, who is trying to help the communities who are killing each other.”
Later in that same thread, the detective defended her comments, and herself, as not racist. “[T]hat’s hilarious because I have no bias toward anyone and you can ask anyone,” she wrote. “I am asking you to name one black leader who is trying to help the community on a local level with fighting the crime against their own community members. I am asking you and you can’t answer it. I know, but you do not.”
Brosnahan later deleted the entire Facebook post, including the comments posted underneath.
On Friday, the ACLU of Connecticut reposted on Instagram an annotated version of Brosnahan’s original post.
The ACLU wrote that Brosnahan’s post included “classic examples of techniques the political machine of policing often uses to try to discredit and intimidate people calling for *any* change (small or big.)”
Those techniques included equating criticism of the police with a threat, reinforcing the distance between the communities police officers belong to and the ones they work in, using racist dog whistles like “gangbanger,” and claiming that police are relatively powerless when in fact they hold a phenomenal amount of power and authority.
Williams and Johnson were less severe in their criticism of Brosnahan’s post.
“I’m willing to make exceptions for people who say something at the spur of the moment, a flippant remark,” and then realize their mistake, he said. He said that Brosnahan’s deletion of her original post is likely a reflection of remorse, or at least a recognition that that was not an appropriate public comment for a police officer to make.
“I think that comment was borne more out of frustration and the tremendous pressure police are under.”
Williams said Brosnahan’s post struck him as a “very close question” as to whether or not it crossed the bounds of impairing a police officer’s ability to do their job. “Is it ill-advised? Yes. Does it suggest a lack of good judgment? Absolutely. But does it cross the line into disciplinary action? That’s a very difficult case to answer.”
“You Must Act And Conduct Yourself In A Public Fashion”
People Against Police Brutality’s Kerry Ellington (pictured) argued that these police officer social media posts reflect something more than the individual musings, pent-up frustrations, and personal biases of particular officers.
She said they show how policing as it currently exists—in New Haven, and throughout the country—is structurally not invested in serving Black and Brown communities.
“To have white officers who come into Black communities and have that violent mindset, that ignorant mindset, directly demonstrates why our community is calling to divert funding from the police department and into city services and social services that will really keep our community safe,” she told the Independent
“On paper, we say that police protect and serve the community. This is a clear example that that is not the case.”
She said these posts by Bandy, Brosnahan, and various retired and current police officers under Brosnahan’s initial comment should not be seen as simply First Amendment-protected free speech.
“When you make a public post and you’re a public servant, and you get paid by taxpayers, you must act and conduct yourself in a public fashion,” she said.
The department’s social media policy clearly states that officers should assume that their personal posts will be perceived as—and will reflect upon—the police department in its official capacity. So even if an officer is protected by the Constitution to post just about whatever they’d like, their employer should not condone such speech if and when it publicly impairs that employee’s ability to do their job.
Ellington said she sees these Facebook posts as of a piece with top brass’s recent comments about police accountability criticism affecting officer morale and police-community relations, and with the vociferous pushback by police union leaders from throughout the state against new proposed legislation that would strip officers of qualified immunity.
She said this attitude indicates that “we deserve the violence that is happening currently in New Haven, all because we want to be critical. Because we want to name the violence of policing.”
When asked what consequences she would like to see these particular officers face for their Facebook posts, she said, “At this point, I wouldn’t trust the authenticity of a response. For me, this speaks to what our community is saying: Which is that this system of policing is dysfunctional. That this system of policing does not keep us safe.”
Tags: New Haven Police Department, social media, Facebook, Jason Bandy, Bridget Brosnahan
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posted by: Andrew Giering on July 22, 2020 7:55pm
Incentivize local hiring, and address segregation within New Haven and its county, or we will be stuck with police who view New Haven as “YOUR city,” not theirs.
posted by: Elmcity80 on July 22, 2020 8:13pm
New haven Independent, Bandy is allowed to have his own thoughts that you may not agree with. This article is reaching and pathetic
posted by: PeteD on July 22, 2020 8:21pm
If you don’t see these posts as problem, then you are part of the problem. The officers with these attitudes should be fired, put into a national data base, never be allowed to be police in this country and have their gun ownership rights taken away as they are not mentally stable. OVERSEER has change into OFFICER since 1865, slave patrols have turned into patrolling the area. We all know that many of you started your career with good intentions and were quickly taught to fit in or leave. No matter what your fellow officers er says you saw it too. I don’t have the answer but this continued hatred towards the people that are sworn to serve and protect has changed to officers being sworn to serve and protect other officers. If your such tough men and women join the armed forces and go fight foreign wars with that attitude. I was pulled over by officer tattoos once and thought, damn when the officer looks worse than any criminals its time for a change. Have your tattoos but make him wear an underarmor long sleeve shirt blue or white. It’s ridiculous that an officer can turn off their camera or mic, that should be immediate grounds for termination.
posted by: Cmon Man on July 22, 2020 8:29pm
Wow! Slow news day I see. What a reach here. Guess freedom of speech is not allowed by police on their own time now. Typical journalism of today attempting to divide people more and more. It is ridiculous already. I have friends in all kind of professions, teachers,nurses, police, etc. Everyone has their own views and believes. Just because I do not agree with some does not give me the right to attack or question their character. This is the problem with liberal America. You are either with them or you are the enemy. I truly am afraid for my children growing up in this culture of cry babies and snowflakes. Lets all calm down and stop being so sensitive. Its sad that one has to worry about what they post now cause they may get an article written on them. Cmon Man. Respect for all.
posted by: mrschramm on July 22, 2020 8:31pm
These officers are an obvious danger to New Haven and should be fired. Cue all the cancel culture pearl clutching. “People can’t even spread racism, Islamophobia, and conspiracy theories on public platforms without consequence anymore!” We should all be held accountable for the things that we say.
posted by: ‘Merica on July 22, 2020 8:32pm
Andrew
How many Officers from this department reside in this city or have at one point?
You need to fact base your comment.
And there are incentives for city residents. They receive 10 preference points. I which the scoring is based on a 1/10 of each point basis. So recruits are scored as an example 92.7, 92.6, 92.5 etc….
So really when it’s broken down like that, 10 points is huge. But this department can’t force people to want to be cops. In fact, after the protest at the police station folks were calling for more diversity in one breath and in the next, telling black officers to resign because its “not a job for black men”. So society has made it very difficult for inner city people to want to become cops.
posted by: Politics 101 on July 22, 2020 9:09pm
I have never felt less safe as a New Haven resident than after reading Indy comments clearly written by NHPD officers. Here and a few weeks ago on the article about Prof. Meares’ appointment—a string of comments about how people who study policing have no expertise about policing. OMG. You let these guys talk and you make the case for defunding the police better than anyone else could.
posted by: challenge on July 22, 2020 9:11pm
I’m just stopping by to see how the police apologists will spin this story. I’m sure his page was hacked or maybe similar to the firefighter who recently sent racist text. We should simply overlook what he said because he did it outside of work. When these people go into work they become entirely different people, risking their lives for New Haven residents. Let me get my popcorn, soda so I can relax and watch the show. This should be good.
posted by: Andrew Giering on July 22, 2020 9:14pm
I wouldn’t count officers who resided in this City “at some point” and chose to leave and pay their taxes elsewhere. They are likely to view New Haven as someone else’s City, and, sadly, as someone else’s problem. Many have written here about “escaping” from New Haven.
As for officers who actually reside in the City, given the culture that led to the detective’s comments about “YOUR city” and “your community,” I respectfully submit that there are not enough of them and that current incentives to attract and retain them are inadequate.
posted by: Fitzy14 on July 22, 2020 9:25pm
So he should be fired because some people are offended by his opinions? Has he done anything on duty to show that he is biased or incapable of being a police officer?
With regards to hiring New Haven residents, does the city receive state and federal funding? Because if they do, then anyone who is qualified should be able to work there because we are all funding the city even if we don’t live there.
posted by: Fact Finder on July 22, 2020 9:30pm
@Tom Breen
It’s sad when the people who should be defending the first amendment the most, the media, post articles that seek to suppress it. I don’t agree with what Bandy posted from a fact based standpoint but he has a right to say it. I know the cops,especially white ones, are supposed to sit quite while Ellington and others spew racial hatred and ignorance but that not America. The cops are allowed to push back as citizens against people who spew hate against them, people who walk around with signs that call cops pigs, people who lead some of these organizations and have very sketchy histories.
Elicker has ordered this city given away to lawlessness. Him and Reyes May want to tow the radical left line and have cops getting on their knees kissing everyone’s ass but what they want and how life works is two different things.
Pathetic Tom, really pathetic.
posted by: ‘Merica on July 22, 2020 9:49pm
Andrew,
Policing is a job like no other. Many officers nationwide find that it becomes a necessity to move themselves and their family out of the city they work in based on safety.
Especially in New Haven, where police have done nothing but good for the community and are receiving death threats to themselves and children.
And it’s all based on an incident that occurred I Minnesota. I would like actual data to show me that New Haven Police are racist tyrants by nature.
posted by: Chris246 on July 22, 2020 9:53pm
In this anti police climate Officer Bandy should have never posted anything on Facebook, a destructive and awful website that in part allows persons to say things in print that they probably wouldn’t say in person. Still this is a New Haven Police administrative matter. Poor judgement. He can believe anything he wants and this is evidenced daily by police critics without the outrage this story will generate.
I’m a law enforcement supporter all day. The great majority of police responses to crime problems and criminal activity are based on calls for service from the community. Proactive policing is not happening but should especially in the enforcement of criminals with firearms and street gangs.
A law enforcement supporter is not an apologist. Cops mess up, some run afoul of the law and get arrested or fired and if they commit crimes they should. I’d rather have any police officer near me than any loudmouth with a bullhorn.
Finally don’t like police. That’s your choice. But to test if you would ever need one I suggest that you take a walk or bike ride on the Farmington Canal bike and walking path in New Haven. Any section. See how safe you feel there.
posted by: Bridget Brosnahan on July 22, 2020 10:00pm
I want to take a moment to say that at no time did I intend for my post to be hurtful or have a negative impact on myself, the image of the badge or our law enforcement family. More importantly It was never meant to hurt the community in which I love and have been committed to for 21 years. Although it was posted in frustration and with little thought, My comment is not a reflection of my character. I do not pass the responsibility of violence on to any one person or group of people. America is in a difficult transformation. A transformation that comes from foundations of hurt, anger, and frustration. It’s important that as we move forward, we recognize not just ourselves and how we fit into the equation, but society as a whole. We need to love and not hate during times we want to hate and not love. That is the hardest thing to do for anyone. What I do know, is that I am always committed to making the city in which I work in a better place. My commitment to New Haven comes from my heart. My frustration comes from what we as a department have experienced during recent protests. I will never turn my back on police reform. Reform is good because it is a recognition of growth. What is not good, is the divisiveness that continues to try and drive a wedge between good and bad and love and hate. Yes, I am frustrated. We are frustrated. The community is frustrated. Battles are not won by turning backs on each other. We need to work together. We need to understand each other. We need to look towards each other and not away. We need to love and not hate. All of us. Together we can build a better community. I believe that.
posted by: ‘Merica on July 22, 2020 10:00pm
Headline says “Raise eyebrows”
You know what raised my eyebrows. The article a few weeks back by this very same “journalist” who wrote about the inmate release from Whalley Avenue jail.
The photo of a white male inmate being released was the centerpiece of the story and it glorified the fact he was being released.
However, the story should have been about why this particular inmate, was being released? After fact checking on a public website it shows that the inmate was incarcerated at the time and serving a sentence for CHILD PORNOGRAPHY!!!
This “journalist” should have been asking why that guy was being released. But that didn’t fit the agenda. So that about sums up the worth of certain “journalists”.
posted by: AverageTaxpayer on July 22, 2020 10:15pm
Bandy needs to unplug himself from whatever whacko media sources are fogging his brain.
Please Jason, come back to some semblance of grounded reality.
And yes, it’s very scary when a gun-carrying police officer gets that far out there with his or her thinking….
posted by: darnell on July 22, 2020 10:19pm
Ten years ago I sponsored a BOA resolution to attempt to stop the police Dept from rehiring this person and others like him. It passed unanimously. How this guy is still a cop is beyond my ability to comprehend.
https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/live_from_city_hall_final_budget_vote_expected/
posted by: Clarity on July 22, 2020 10:29pm
Bridget, I respect you for taking responsibility and for your heartfelt comment. You are only guilty of being human and of being baited by someone who is full of hate and a desire to divide us. To the NHPD, the New Haven community supports you and respects your commitment and sacrifice. Don’t let the negativity discourage you and derail you from the honorable service you do for the community. In the end, good will defeat evil, just let God fight your battles. Godspeed.
posted by: MP093 on July 22, 2020 10:47pm
Much ado about nothing. Kerry Ellington, the ACLU and others “offended” by these posts should read some of their own quotes. People who seek tolerance should give tolerance
posted by: ethanjrt on July 22, 2020 10:51pm
Chris246 wrote:
I suggest that you take a walk or bike ride on the Farmington Canal bike and walking path in New Haven. Any section. See how safe you feel there.
Way ahead of ya, bud. In fact, I used to bike the canal trail every morning to the Hamden Home Depot and back, and many other times besides… and strangely enough, I felt just fine.
This explains a lot, though. I guess if you’re afraid of your own shadow (and white) then I could see why you might be a die-hard fan of the police, no matter what they do.
posted by: Corruptionisreal on July 22, 2020 10:54pm
The saddest part of this media stretch of an article is that it gets more news and pushback than the young teenager female shot in the head while sleeping…sad
posted by: Greg-Morehead on July 22, 2020 11:34pm
To everyone saying that the cops named in the Article have a right to FREE Speech, yes, they do have a right to FREE speech but NOT when they are charged and hired as a public servant for the town.
It would be so different if the Chief had these remarks and stated things on his private FB page, what would you say then? They are held to a HIGHER standard as police officers and should be held accountable as such.
When you took the test, did the physical, went through the academy and came out as a recruit, your old way of doing things is no more… You’re a public servant now and you are expected to be held to a higher standard than other people because of that badge…
Ms. Bridget Brosnahan, I do not know you but I say this as a general statement to things that I’ve seen people do over the years….. An apology only comes from someone when they are caught or exposed. They don’t think about their comments or how hurtful it could be to the other party until someone calls them out.. I often think, when people put stuff on Social Media and then have to recant what they said because someone called them out on it, thats their true feelings. No amount of “I’m Sorry” can cover how you really feel….I say this also to the other officer, Bandy in question as well… We are seeing ALOT of peoples true feelings during this time…(Public Servant or Not)
ijs
posted by: Myvoicecounts on July 22, 2020 11:46pm
The inclusion of Det Brosnahan in this article is a huge stretch! You have no idea what a wonderful loving person you are trying to paint in a bad light. The independent has never been anything but a rag that incites anger and division, fortunately for those of us who are blessed to know her, it won’t work!
With all of the hate spewed at them daily, officers have every right to feel frustrated. They go out daily in a climate which consistently tells them they are not only unappreciated but hated for the uniform they wear. Regardless of the hate they are subjected to they go out every day to serve this city and I for one am grateful for their sacrifices.
posted by: mailuser1221 on July 23, 2020 12:11am
Bandy is allowed to post whatever he wants. If you don’t like it too bad. Why even worry if you’re a law abiding citizen anyway – you’ll never need his professionalism.
“They do align with far-right, extremist anti-government beliefs,” national domestic terrorism analyst and right-wing extremism expert Daryl Johnson said about Bandy’s Facebook posts.”
Is this guy smoking crack on Spongebob Squarepants Opposite Day? Far right anti-government?
Nothing in the history of the universe could be more polar opposite of that. It’s the Left that is extreme and wants no government.
Breen is barely fit to clean graffiti, let alone call himself a journalist. He has no courage most of the time as he doesn’t like to post (my) glaring truths…..oh well. Digital bravado aside, I bet if Bandy came to your aid during an attack you would welcome his rescue. As I would.
If you don’t like it don’t get arrested. Kinda like if you don’t eat meat don’t go into a steak house and throw paint on the patrons. Stay home and eat hummus.
posted by: Dennis Serf on July 23, 2020 12:23am
Darnell – Thanks for the link. You look 10 years younger, as did Mr. Al Lucas.
From the article: “If there was a winner at Thursday’s meeting, it was Al Lucas (at right in photo), head of the legislative services department, which assists the Board of Aldermen. The board voted to take over $12,000 out of its budget for consulting services and put it towards a raise for Lucas”
Money well spent.
Dennis Serfilippi
posted by: Dawn1350 on July 23, 2020 12:45am
I do not know the female police officer but I do know Jay. He has done a great deal for the community and a couple of months ago they were going to name him officer of the week. Jay has helped many people in his 14 years on the force. You are calling him a racist he doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. He knows what it is to be discriminated against and actually fights against it. He talks about following through with your goals and tells people to believe in themselves and then I see this article and it makes me sick. Anyone that knows him will say the same.
posted by: ConcernedNHResident on July 23, 2020 3:12am
I agree these posts aren’t ideal in this time of crisis. However cops are people , people with freedom of speech, press, opinion …. they have the right to say and post as they please it’s a given right and amendment…. no one is going after the ACAB posters .. or excuse my language the “fxck 12” that I see people scream at these officers just on routine patrol …
posted by: HewNaven on July 23, 2020 7:14am
Lord knows how many times I used a police escort to traverse the Farmington Canal Trail. #heroes
posted by: ACPD on July 23, 2020 7:24am
Lincoln said that you can fool all Americans some of the time and some Americans all of time; but you can’t fool all Americans all of the time. The people who believe the lies and nonsense coming from Trump, the Russians and the Alt-right can’t be reasoned with. They are all about themselves and their needs/perceptions. They are unaware, weak people who project onto others their own self-loathing. They are arrested adolescents who are in a perpetual state of rebellion against reality, adult/legitimate authority and science/logic/facts. If it were possible to educate and to enlighten these folks, I would suggest that. Sadly, the only thing that works is to ignore them and disengage from them. We should not be using taxpayer money to support such malice and ignorance….
posted by: The Good Old Days on July 23, 2020 7:25am
One of my favorite movies of all time is The Killing Fields. It is about a journalist who is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot’s bloody ‘Year Zero’ cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million ‘undesirable’ civilians. I am sure the author or I hope he would have seen this movie. The thing is I associate Thomas Breen more with Pol Pot than I do the Journalist covering Cambodia and The Khmer Rouge. One wonders if the author will go even further and take it to the comments section to attempt to out and destroy those who comment in dissent of his opinion. Do I think these officers made poor decisions in their Facebook posts, yes. But I question the lengths the author of the piece will go to in order to support his cause. I keep saying author because Thomas Breen is no journalist. The New Haven Independent has some good pieces, some yellow pieces, and some hit pieces. Overall I would never call the New Haven Independent Journalism as it is 80% plus activism.
posted by: Whatacity on July 23, 2020 7:33am
Wow, we are in trouble. Apparently, according to this article and the. So called ‘experts’, we now have NO First Amendment Rights.
Let’s see, the liberal elite is trying to take our guns from us, trying to take our civil liberties from us, unless the particular liberty falls in line with their agenda, and heaven forbid, you should say anything bad about any one of them including a Muslim congresswoman, then you are ostracized.
Why any police officer, anywhere in this country, puts on a uniform, a badge, and a gun, and goes to work after the last 6 weeks, is beyond me.
Brosnahan hit it right on the head, as soon as our own mayor laid down and got into bed with these Socialists, they started shooting. Very scary.
posted by: jWw_in_NH on July 23, 2020 7:39am
Thank you, Tom and Sam, for some great reporting just this past week. While recent stories have emphasized the complex, tragic, and fraught nature of what is happening in this community (a reflection of current affairs in this country), there is no ambiguity about the actions taken by public servants highlighted here. I appreciated the good analysis from experts – I can’t understand how anyone defending these supposed public servants or attacking this reporting could have read the article.
Chief Reyes made a point to emphasize how begrudgingly he fired an officer who punched and abused a prone, handcuffed man. There is no room for hedging around the abhorrent public behavior of Officer Bandy and the damning comments by Detective Brosnahan, the former police union president, and other officers. Detective Brosnahan’s comment under this article unfortunately does not show reflection or understanding of why her post undermined public safety, but it is a step in the right direction. Please keep learning and reflecting.
posted by: DawnBli on July 23, 2020 7:40am
It is not merely a word an off the cuff remark. It is the utter immaturity, lack of judgment that concerns me. When people that are carrying weapons say these horrible things it is BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THEY TRULY BELIEVE!! Add in the Union allowing these individuals to remain on citizen funded payroll, this is insanity! Again, just who is it who hires these hate filled people? And then I read the Set. Bros……remarks and she proved my point. The utter childishness, the immaturity shows me her judgment is questionable !!
posted by: CityYankee on July 23, 2020 7:51am
@ ElmCity80—- Correct! A public servant does not have to be told what to think or what to like or what to believe. How does this make him “fit” for doing his job?
This is a violation of our First Amendments rights and sounds like it was taken right out of 1984. The NHI is trying to stir up more anger toward police? Is that wise—- oh yeah—- freedom of the press; no matter how biased!
posted by: ISeeRacism on July 23, 2020 8:39am
This guy has some TRASH opinions, but this article is also TRASH.
He has a right to his opinion. What is the meaning of this reporting? Disappointed that this even made the cut. Take this trash article down. This article has put a target on this man’s back and for what?
posted by: stuffedsoul on July 23, 2020 8:48am
“On my honor, I will never Betray my integrity, my character Or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always maintain the highest ethical standards and uphold the values of my community, and the agency I serve.”
posted by: DMH464 on July 23, 2020 9:00am
First, although some of his posts seem “out there” those are his feelings and regardless of his position are entitled to it. The fact that the experts, which it seems anyone can be one now” are painting him as Right-Wing is opting more than trying to stir up something that’s not there, if his posts were praising the BLM and the or praising those members of Congress there would be no article. He is absolutely right about Maxine Waters and Ilhan Omar.
Bandy, IMO, should not be an officer but it’s not because of this BS, his prior history should have grounds for dismissal.
As far as Brosnahan, nothing she said was untrue but especially regarding Ellington. Her only mistake was to take down the post and post an apology in this comment section and possibly violate her social media policy. She owes no one an apology. I have known her for years and she is good people. Someone must be really triggered if they took the time to break down her post which amounted to pointing out nothing.
posted by: MP093 on July 23, 2020 9:02am
Social media has become a serious problem for some. Recently, a teacher and a coach were fired for writing “Trump is our President” on a social media post. 67 Philadelphia police officers are under investigation for social media posts related to attempts to remove a Columbus statue. Many police officers and other public servants have been fired over what they’ve posted. My advice to anyone in public service would be to refrain from posting anything political. Stick to happy birthdays. You’ll be better off for it.
posted by: ElmCityLover on July 23, 2020 9:03am
@DawnBli it is not the Union that hires or fires police officers. Only the Police Commisssion has that power.
posted by: Digestthis on July 23, 2020 9:18am
It is utterly ridiculous to accuse a police officer of being racist because of his political views. Is there anything on the record to suggest he has ever used unnecessary force or racial bias on the job?
The writer of this article has not delved into one good thing these officers ever did for the community. Can we say agenda from a liberal rag that has catered to the left for years? It’s just one more case of the left calling out the right because they are so desperate and have no conscience .
Suddenly conservatives have become the enemy and the left can spew all the nonsense they want? This “reporter” is not tolerant of other people’s views and is more racist than the people he’s accusing . If a group of people held signs that said fuck him and threw stuff at him like they do at police officers I don’t think he’d just stand there and take it , he would probably resort to writing a scathing article about it Let’s look up his fb and call out where he lives and his political views I’m sure we could find something that offends someone. Shame on Mr Bass for allowing such an opinion article to further divide.
Did you know an appointed commissioner in Hamden wrote racist comments on a forum last week and no one at the independent cares because he’s a liberal???
posted by: LuckyEscapee on July 23, 2020 9:23am
How is this a violation of his right to Free Speech? Nobody is saying he CAN’T post stuff. However, it’s him who has to deal with the consequences of his actions. So he claims a belief which is conflict to the image his employer is trying to present. Presenting that you hire people that go against your ‘image’ means you’re not really interested in that image and contradicting yourself. They don’t have to keep him on payroll for that. He just needs to find a police department with matching beliefs.
Union aside, that is. Those money grubbers will do anything so they can sue the city and be able to funnel money from member paid dues to attorneys who are buddy-buddy with union management. Unions also don’t fight for the people. They fight for their wallets.
posted by: Trustme on July 23, 2020 9:40am
And the media continues to control the sheep!!! So if someone supports different views than the liberal left they are deemed to be fueled with hate? It seems to me that Ofc. Bandy is against corruption, huge government, riots, destruction of property, pedophilia, and advocates free thinking. But this is not the far leftist views has of lately, at least not to me from what I see. The left immediately calls the right racist every chance they get, especially when it doesn’t fit their narrative and when there’s different views or ideas. Thank you NHI for continuing the division of this country.
posted by: Stylo on July 23, 2020 9:46am
He’s allowed to have opinions, even if you disagree with them. I don’t know what this has to do with his ability to do his job. Get over it.
posted by: Trustme on July 23, 2020 9:59am
Remember the many guns Ofc. Bandy took off the streets without any police involved shootings? Remember when Ofc. Bandy ran inside a burning home when children were inside cooking? I do. Most of you are gutless and are keyboard warriors, Ofc. Bandy is a warrior who has risked his life many times in New Haven and this is the thanks he gets. SMH
posted by: THREEFIFTHS on July 23, 2020 10:18am
Both officers do have the right to free speech.The problem is the mind set of these type of officers.I bet officers who think like this have the most Citizen Complaints.In fact there was a NYPD police Street Crime Unit who’s motto was We Own the Night. A study was done of the officers of this unit.They found that the typical members of the gung ho Street Crimes Unit has little incentive to pay much attention to the rights and dignity of city residents.They found that they also had the most Citizen Complaints and Lawsuits against them.To show you how sick the officers of this unit was several officers designed and distributed Hats and T-shirts with we own the night on the Hats and T-Shirts .
Take a look at the hat.It has the Yale skull and Bones on it.
https://www.meyersuniforms.com/copy-of-8-borough-hat/
Take a look at the shirt
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/nypd-street-crime-unit-own-night-459447337
And if you take a look at the back of the Shirt.It says this by Ernest Hemingway
There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.
― Ernest Hemingway
Like I said The problem is the mind set of these type of officers and there are a whole lot of these type on the force in this country.
posted by: stuffedsoul on July 23, 2020 10:29am
He took an oath. That’s all I’m saying. So put your quills back in their sheaths. I’m not saying anything about First Amendment. Nothing about firing. Nothing about treating him the way he treats others. Nothing that he is not brave and courageous. Nothing that he should be censored. Nothing about whatever it is is raising the hair on so many of you as Bandy’s social media posts get bandied about. (see what I did there?) All I’m saying is that, as a police officer, he took an oath, and based solely on that oath, and my understanding of certain words, ideas and concepts in that oath, Bandy seems to not be very honorable, or have much integrity, or character and causes me to doubt my trust in him if, for instance, I were a Muslim. Okay, he has shown great courage in the line of duty. But shouldn’t he also, according to the oath he took, be held accountable for his actions including his social media posts? His posts, if they are his and reflect the way he thinks about the people he has sworn to serve, seem to call into question his ethics and values, as I understand those concepts, as well as my sense of what is right and wrong, particularly coming from the mouth of a police/peace officer. Perhaps rather than firing, censoring, and all that, the officer could be told why his posts might be offensive to some and might be seen to call into question his integrity based on the oath that he took when he swore to respect the rights of others while maintaining peace and upholding law and order.
posted by: cunningham on July 23, 2020 10:29am
If I were professional chef, and I were posting on Facebook about how salmonella is a lie and health inspections are tyranny and restaurant patrons should shut up and take what they’re served, I think it’d be fair for my employer to question whether I should be on the line.
posted by: CityYankee on July 23, 2020 10:39am
Dear stuffedsoul(i love it): How should he “… be held accountable for his actions including
his social media posts? ” Would you like to be held “accountable” by those who disagree with what you wrote on your own page? I wouldn’t . We’d all be fired if that was the case and I don’t think that is what we want to see happen. Enough people are not working. The law can only try to moderate your ACTS; we are not YET at the point where your thoughts are also to be regulated.
posted by: CityYankee on July 23, 2020 10:43am
Dear 3/5’s: I wonder if your concern is with the hunting of men who commit crimes or rather is it WHICH MEN that are being hunted? Would you complain as much if they hunted another group of men more to your liking???? Just wondering.
posted by: jules on July 23, 2020 10:46am
Jesus absolute Christ – to the “this guy is allowed to have an opinion” crowd – one of his opinions, evidently, is that Joe Biden is trying to “implement Islam”. Guys, this man is a police officer. He’s posting content that very clearly illustrates his intense personal biases for and against certain types of people. Are you going to tell me you trust this dude, who feels comfortable making these kinds of statements essentially in public, to treat a Muslim as he would treat anyone else in an intense or life-threatening situation? He’s “allowed to have an opinion”, absolutely – nobody will EVER stop him from having these opinions, frankly – but I think it’s equally fair to say he can have this opinion but probably not ALSO this particular job. A job that sometimes entails the use of lethal force and split-second decisions that end or change lives should not be held by someone who is comfortable announcing to the world that they believe, for example, Islam is evil.
posted by: asj on July 23, 2020 10:54am
So what’s Bandy’s service record like?
Years back, my mom needed emergency brain surgery. The surgeon assigned had a stellar record, was highly respected and was in the top of her field.
It never crossed my mind—nor should it have—to even think about the surgeon’s opinions or views about politics, culture … really anything, other than brain surgery. If someone told me the surgeon was an enormous asshole, it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference.
I hang out with people I like; I hire people who can best do the job.
posted by: ACPD on July 23, 2020 11:23am
Hey, Guys, racism isn’t an “opinion.” It isn’t a comment on the weather or on just someone’s choice of words. It is hatred and ignorance which is destructive to our society and to the person who is a racist, not to mention the people about whom he/she is so badly inclined. Slavery, systemic racism and other forms of bias are not just views they are debatable or up for discussion. Racism, sexism and the other forms of hatred/bias are lies and positions that are fundamentally corrupt—morally and legally. Racists should not be on any govt payroll, because the contempt with which such people hold some of the very people they are supposed to serve and who pay their salaries by definition disqualifies them to do their jobs properly. No one should pay for shoddy work….
posted by: Digestthis on July 23, 2020 11:34am
@jules
Assuming he’s opposed to Biden’s suggestion of teaching Islam in schools Makes you question whether or not he can do his job without bias?
That is ridiculous
With the exception of catholic schools I don’t think any other religion is taught in public schools .., do you think it should be ?
posted by: cunningham on July 23, 2020 11:53am
@Digestthis
In school I recall being taught the basics of what the Puritans believed and how those beliefs affected American history. I think what Biden was calling for was, in the context of a world history or similar course, teaching the basics of what Muslims belief and an overview of Islamic history. Not the same as religious instruction in a Catholic school.
Aside from which, the Facebook post (“pandering or attempting to implement”) is VERY clearly communicating some anti-Islamic biases. A person who is concerned about a politician “pandering” to Muslims and “attempting to implement” Islam is not a person who respects Muslims or Islam.
That person quite possibly sees Islam as a threat, and quite possibly that person should not have a gun and the broad impunity to use lethal force on people who he perceives as threatening.
posted by: THREEFIFTHS on July 23, 2020 11:57am
posted by: CityYankee on July 23, 2020 10:43am
Dear 3/5’s: I wonder if your concern is with the hunting of men who commit crimes or rather is it WHICH MEN that are being hunted? Would you complain as much if they hunted another group of men more to your liking???? Just wondering.
When does the police Hunt people.Last I read.They apprehend.Last I look the term Hunting comes from the slave patrols and bounty hunter.
Would you complain as much if they hunted another group of men more to your liking???? Just wondering.
Glad you ask that.Did you know that Black and Latino Officers on The NYPD are suing because they are told to hunt down Black and Latino people and are told by a commander that white and Asian people should be left alone.
‘I Got Tired of Hunting Black and Hispanic People’
At a police station tucked into an end-of-the-line subway terminal in South Brooklyn, the new commander instructed officers to think of white and Asian people as “soft targets” and urged them to instead go after blacks and Latinos for minor offenses like jumping the turnstile, a half-dozen officers said in sworn statements.You are stopping too many Russian and Chinese,” one of the officers, Daniel Perez, recalled the commander telling him earlier this decade.Another officer, Aaron Diaz, recalled the same commander saying in 2012, “You should write more black and Hispanic people.”
And by the way CityYankee.One of the officers who file this lawsuit is part of my family.
posted by: stuffedsoul on July 23, 2020 12:04pm
@Digestthis Of course religion, or religious studies, should be taught in schools. Don’t you think it would behoove us for people to learn about tolerance in schools, too? If people learned there are thousands of religions and spiritual traditions in the world, rather than being told the one their family practices is the only one and the rest should be killed, maybe the world would be a more peaceful and more comfortable place to live.
posted by: THREEFIFTHS on July 23, 2020 12:05pm
I wonder if City cop Jason Bandy knows that how he is dress in his picture he would have be call the felon look or perp colors.
Portraits in Racial Profiling
About 50 white and black uniformed and undercover officers who participated in an unscientific survey by the Voice contend that “the felon look”—that “Tupac-thug-for-life” image and posture captured in this week’s cover illustration—account for a majority of the stops and frisks. Using the composite sketch, the cops assigned high and low percentages to every piece of brand-name clothing, headgear, and footwear that they say contributes to the makeup of a racial profile and causes them to confront a person. Whites donning similar clothing rarely are stopped. In the cops’ opinion:
* A baseball cap, worn at any angle, accounts for 10 percent of their stops.
* A bandanna, particularly red or blue, hints at gang involvement and accounts for 20 percent of stops.
* An XXL hooded sweattop, or “hoodie,” accounts for 20 percent of stops.
* Sagging, baggy trousers, especially dungarees, account for 30 percent of stops.
* Exposed plaid boxer shorts account for 10 percent of stops.
* Expensive high-top sneakers—unlaced, suggesting that the person may have done prison time—account for 10 percent of stops.
https://www.villagevoice.com/2000/03/14/portraits-in-racial-profiling/
posted by: jules on July 23, 2020 12:09pm
@Digestthis
I would be equally concerned and equally convinced there was a big problem if this dude was displaying flagrant & intense anti-Catholic bias. Would you be more concerned if this was a Muslim cop railing similarly about Christianity? You might be showing your own issues here.
posted by: jules on July 23, 2020 12:16pm
@Digestthis
And yes, to answer your question more directly, I think students absolutely SHOULD learn about world religions so they have the remotest understanding of how other peoples’ belief systems work and the history behind them – not in the least so they don’t end up like this awful dude, who I can virtually guarantee you couldn’t answer even basic questions about what Muslims actually believe or why. Religion is an incredibly important and influential part of the daily lives of billions of people, why in the world wouldn’t you want kids learning about the different beliefs people hold?
posted by: Digestthis on July 23, 2020 12:22pm
@cumnimgham
but you see I wouldn’t expect you to try to understand any different point of views. Nor would I expect you to support the freedom of speech amendment. A quick look at your Facebook page shows you support the do nothing Race baiting Justin who pays no taxes because all he owns is a bike and has made it a a full time job to protest against the police. Whatever narrative suits you is right? A little bias and offensive??? One minute you all insist on transparency and the next you imply it’s ok somehow for a cop to think a certain way as long as he keeps it to himself. I hope you thoroughly vet your drs your vets and the people making your sandwiches at dibellas because god forbid one may support a president you don’t like. You liberals are a joke
posted by: DMH464 on July 23, 2020 12:51pm
@3/5
Great point, since you brought it up, do you know if these two officers have any citizen complaints?
posted by: stuffedsoul on July 23, 2020 1:00pm
@SwampYankee To hold him accountable doesn’t mean fire him. As I said in my first post, police officers take an oath to “hold others and themselves accountable for their actions”. Look up the word if you don’t understand it. Don’t try to fan a flame of hate that doesn’t exist bcz you only dampen your own already weakened rhetoric.
Unemployment, Thought moderation. I’m not sayin you’re a Big Brother conspiracy theorist but (and I know this will never happen) I still suggest you wake up and take a good whiff of your own compost. I don’t disagree with your politics. I’m just driven by my feelings of connection and long to help others feel connected, not angered by their disconnection.
Try to focus on the transformative power of love. Say no to racism, militarism, misogyny, ecocide, oligarchy, homophobia and transphobia and express your compassion for all humans and creatures, especially those who need and deserve justice. Like you would like them to do for you.
posted by: New Haven Urbanism on July 23, 2020 1:04pm
When Mr. Bandy writes things like “she is trash” on his Facebook page along with a link about something a Black female Democratic Congresswoman (as opposed to a male congresswoman?), does he mean that “she is trash because she is a Black female Democratic Congresswoman”?
Or does he mean something more like “I view the behavior that this person, who happens to be a Black female Democratic Congresswoman, exhibited as trash behavior regardless of the physical characteristics of the person behaving in that manner”?
If Mr. Bandy meant the former, then I think that is clear evidence that he may not be fit to be a police officer.
If Mr. Bandy meant something closer to the latter, then I would ask a follow up question: why do you view this behavior as “trash”? Is it trash because you think that people who did what the Congresswoman did is akin to attacking all police officers, and since you identify as a police officer, you felt attacked as well? Is it trash because you think the police officers’ actions were appropriate and the Congresswoman’s were not? Is it trash because you believe the police officers were trying to conduct a lawful traffic stop and the Congresswoman was trying to make an inappropriate political statement? Answering yes to any of these questions does not make one a bigot.
If you are seeking something that resembles the truth, I would repeat this exercise for each of his posts. If you are not seeking the truth, then carry on with projecting your own biases onto Mr. Bandy’s posts without delving further into his actual opinions (granted, this becomes difficult if he chooses not to comment when asked about his posts).
I would need way more information in order to be able to have any kind of informed opinion about Mr. Bandy’s fitness to be a New Haven police officer.
posted by: OudThomas on July 23, 2020 1:13pm
This has little to do with freedom of speech and a whole heck of a lot to do with poor judgement, which he’s shown in the past too. Has anyone read the article linked here about his 2010 incident? A horrible lack of judgement was shown then, as well. He essentially cheated the city and taxpayers by calling in sick and going and getting drunk, and then to make matters worse, picked fights with bar staff, bouncers and a police Sgt on duty. What if he were a judge or school teacher with these beliefs. How would you feel? What if he goes to a call and it’s the word of one citizen against the other and one is black and one white, or one muslim, or one has a Biden 2020 shirt on? Who do you think he’ll favor? This guys bias are a real problem not to mention they’re so far right wing, so out of normal thinking, tinfoil hat level views, that scare me when knowing the guy that holds them is allowed to carry a gun and police over our citizens in a supposed nonbiased and fair manner. For all the people defending his lack of judgement and garbage beliefs, stop with the portraying him as a victim. His divisive and extreme views make it impossible for him to do his job in a fair manner.
posted by: Digestthis on July 23, 2020 1:17pm
@cunningham
Since you linked to your page I see that you call yourself a local fiction writer. I checked out your Facebook page and see that you are a liberal who supports justin Farmer. Your choice. By definition should I then never read anything you wrote because we disagree politically? Do you vet your doctors , your dentist? Or the person making your lunch, say at DiBellas to make sure they have the same political views as you ? Might a dr who doesn’t like white people be more likely to leave you a scar with a scalpel ? You clearly support someone who hates the police and makes no bones about protesting against them so how is anything you say non bias ? If you believe the police are a threat and your implying that he may believe Islam is a threat what in the hell is the difference and how dies that make you any better?
posted by: CityYankee on July 23, 2020 1:24pm
Dear Jules—- learning about a religion as an element of culture is fine. But being sure to teach about the Catholic Inquisition or the Protestant Salem Witch Trials and neglecting to mention Muslim slave traders in Africa and Europe and the degradation that women and all infidels are subjected to would not be a balanced education but that’s not what we’re after, is it? Anything Western or Judeo-Christian=bad. Anything indigenous, non-Western=good. That is indoctrination; not education. I learned about the Inquisition and Salem but not about Muslim attempts to conquer Europe and subject them to Islam and I’m not that young. Be careful what you wish for because it is all about indoctrination and desensitization now.
posted by: Trustme on July 23, 2020 1:27pm
@oudthomas
Explain how divisive he’s being? Maybe you can teach me something.
posted by: 06511 on July 23, 2020 1:32pm
1) Comparing Tom Breen to Pol Pot is a first! Thanks, I needed a good laugh today – Tom, I guess this is how you know you’ve made it.
2) The right to free speech does not absolve a person from the consequences of that free speech. Many people on this thread seem to be confusing the two.
3) ‘Political beliefs’ are not the same as ‘buying into absurd conspiracy theories.’ They should not be treated the same. Professing allegiance to QAnon is not equivalent to advocating for smaller government or affirmative action. Has the quality of our civic education fallen so low that this needs to be said out loud?
posted by: cunningham on July 23, 2020 1:48pm
@Digestthis
If I found out my doctor was posting pseudo-scientific quack articles on Facebook, publicly, I might look for a new doctor. If I found out the guy who makes my sandwiches was bragging about never washing his hands on Facebook, publicly, I might look for a new lunch spot. And if I see a cop (a public servant!) posting bizarre conspiracies and racist dogwhistles on Facebook I question their ability to do their particular job. It’s not about blacklisting people who I disagree with. I don’t care if my doctor disagrees with me politically. I don’t care if a cop disagrees with me politically (I’m sure most of them do). I do care if a cop betrays the paranoia, bigotry, and the lack of judgement we see here. Because “cop” is a job with a lot of power, it has a lot of responsibility too.
posted by: Digestthis on July 23, 2020 1:48pm
@newhavenurbanism
Thank you for being fair and presenting both sides
@ Jules
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state ? Are you suggesting that the removal of the pledge of allegiance in classrooms is fine and politically correct but they should teach religion ? Give me a break maybe they should focus on teaching respect and people wouldn’t be throwing piss at police officers who are trying to do their jobs
posted by: Heather C. on July 23, 2020 2:09pm
This is a difficult dilemma, balancing a person’s right to freedom of speech in their free time, with the public’s right to not financially support a public servant’s speech that calls into question their judgement and their ability to serve the public fairly and equally. The solution is transforming the police by altering the qualified immunity laws so it doesn’t protect officers who are violating policies and procedures and are bullies or mentally unstable. The solution is regular periodic counseling/therapy and psychological assessment to weed out officers who are mentally unfit for the job, whether it is from a mental illness, personality disorder, job related stress, or PTSD from traumatic incidents. The solution is changing the policies, procedures, training and philosophy of the police department from an “us vs them” war-like mentality to a compassionate social service “serve and protect” policy. Governments need to review contracts and include social media speech as part of the conduct expected on and off the job as a public servant for all publicly financed positions. Social media companies are private companies and should post fact check statement notes for a fair and balanced counterpoint to postings with serious fact issues, and should remove posts that are violent or encourage violent behavior. But the fact remains that if we start censoring speech we don’t like, then other people can turn around and censor speech we do like. And cancelling people from society doesn’t change their minds, it only makes them angrier and more entrenched in their beliefs. So it doesn’t make the world a safer, kinder place. Perhaps the person in question should be required by their employer to attend anger management counseling and therapy to address their obvious anger issues and their lack of judgement and impulse control. I see a person crying out for help with their behavior and postings that reflect their thought process.
posted by: jules on July 23, 2020 2:13pm
@disgestthis
Teaching about religion in the classroom and indoctrination are not remotely the same thing and I find your conflation incredibly bizarre.
posted by: ethanjrt on July 23, 2020 3:03pm
asj wrote:
Years back, my mom needed emergency brain surgery. The surgeon assigned had a stellar record, was highly respected and was in the top of her field.
It never crossed my mind—nor should it have—to even think about the surgeon’s opinions or views about politics, culture … really anything, other than brain surgery. If someone told me the surgeon was an enormous asshole, it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference.
A question and a comment:
– Question: Do you think your analogy captures all of the key factors in the NHPD situation? E.g. what if the surgeon, in your analogy, was known to really despise women, and had a lot of latitude to, say, choose to rush through a procedure or try unproven methods? What if the surgeon’s records (e.g. disciplinary) were kept secret by court order and they were protected by qualified immunity in cases of negligence, so you could never actually know what their true failure rate was?
– Comment: I had corrective laser surgery (PRK) done on both eyes back in October, and I had much the same thought process as you! The surgeon seemed like kind of an asshole, for a variety of (completely no political) reasons I won’t get into here. But he had all the board certifications, his office was close by, and I knew someone who had gotten PRK very successfully from him in the past. (Which is all anyone really has to go on with these things, because 12-month patient satisfaction rates aren’t collected, much less made public.) So I figured, sure, he seems a little off… but if he’s good, he’s good, right?
Fast forward to December: doctor announces he’s retiring at the end of the month—i.e., say goodbye to the one year of free follow-up visits offered by all offices that do PRK. I’ve had complications since, including severe dry eye, and visits with my own doctor are both expensive and less fruitful (she is, understandably, not an expert in PRK post op).
Character isn’t a factor in job performance, until it is.
posted by: Chris246 on July 23, 2020 4:53pm
Ah Ethan,
The only agency that will respond to a call for assistance 24/7, 365 days a year from anyone including a supporter, a critic, a criminal needing assistance and yes even a person like you. No other agency will do so. No social service agency, take a number please, not the Fire Department, no member o the Board of Alders or their staff, no member of clergy. Just one. The police department. That’s it. Appreciate them or don’t to your detriment. I w il define that if needed.
As for being a chicken about riding the trail, something I did every day last summer from Yale to Cheshire, police officers patrolling the route near New Haven always said to be careful from both New Haven and Hamden because it wasn’t safe after Burger King. You might also remember the murder that happened on the trail as well. I’ll take their word, avoid possible trouble because that is the smart thing to do.
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